Dragon Ball has been around for almost four decades now and during that time there have been some excellent heroes and villains. There have, however, been one or two characters that have frustrated fans due to their slow and cumbersome character arcs; none more so than Gohan.
Since his first introduction during the Raditz saga, the young Saiyan has shown glimpses of brilliance, although has struggled to maintain a consistently compelling trajectory since then. Despite his frequent failings as a character, however, he has still been involved in some truly fantastic fights over the years.
10 Gohan Versus Raditz
Whether or not Gohan's interactions with Raditz can even be described as a "battle" is perhaps a matter for debate. It is, however, the moment when Gohan's true potential is first revealed to viewers and marks the beginning of a many year wait for that potential to finally come to fruition.
What makes the scene so impactful is how pitiful Gohan had been portrayed in the episodes leading up to it. In the blink of an eye though, he changes from sniveling child into fearsome fighter and is able to cause some serious damage to his seemingly superior uncle in a moment of true unbridled rage.
9 Gohan Versus Cell Juniors
Gohan's battle with the Cell Juniors serves as the perfect indication of just how far he has come as a fighter. The tiny blue fiends have the beating of all of the young Saiyan's friends and yet he is able to tear through them like they're sheets of wet tissue paper.
Since his very first appearance in the anime, Gohan's powers had been teased on countless occasions, but this was perhaps the first time when viewers starter to wonder whether he might now become the real deal. For that reason alone, it's a great fight to watch and serves as the perfect appetizer for the final showdown with Cell.
8 Gohan Versus Super Buu
The wait for Gohan to unlock his Mystic form was both tedious and, at times, a little awkward; particularly the part where Goku tries to pimp out Bulma and Videl to Old Kai. There can be no denying that the transformation was well worth the wait though, even if most of earth's inhabitants did die in the process.
Gohan has the beating of Super Buu in pretty much every department and is able to land some incredibly powerful blows throughout the fight. Unfortunately, however, his kind-hearted nature gets the better of him and he decides to let Buu off the hook due to the one-sided nature of the fight. While the decision to do so is definitely a heroic one, it ends up having some catastrophic consequences a little later on.
7 Gohan Versus Dabura
Gohan's fight with Dabura was his first proper battle since defeating Cell all those years before and the first chance that viewers got to see him duke it out while in his adult form. The lack of progress shown is perhaps a little disappointing, but the actual battle with the demon king is anything but.
It takes him a while to really get going, but, once he does, it makes for an incredibly entertaining fight. The ever-present threat of Dabura's statue-making saliva keeps the tension high at all times and the fight choreography is perfectly on point.
6 Gohan Versus Buutenks
While Gohan's battle against Super Buu is cool and all, it's a little too one-sided to evoke the same kind of suspense and tension as some of the series' other great duels. This all changes, however, once the villain absorbs Gotenks and Piccolo; becoming immeasurably stronger in the process.
Not only does this lead to a far more balanced fight, but Buu having absorbed Gohan's younger brother and mentor makes things personal. What's more, it gives viewers a chance to see what Gohan's new Mystic form is really capable of; and it's pretty impressive, if only for a short while.
5 Gohan Versus Recoome
Despite their pomposity, the Ginyu Force are definitely a force to be reckoned with. Granted, Vegeta is able to take down Guldo with relative ease, but Recoome soon proves himself to be in an entirely different league. He easily has the beating of the Saiyan Prince and is ready to kill him before Gohan and Krillin bravely step in.
Although Gohan is no match for the elite fighter, even Recoome himself can't help but be impressed by the bravery and tenacity that the young Saiyan displays throughout their fight. Beaten and bloodied, he keeps on getting up and shows that he would rather die fighting than turn tail and run. Considering where he was at the beginning of the Raditz Saga, this is a pretty drastic change.
4 Gohan Versus Vegeta
Great Ape transformations don't happen very often in the modern era, but audiences were treated to quite a few of them during the early days of Dragon Ball. One of the most electrifying comes during the Saiyan saga though, when Gohan goes bananas after seeing Vegeta's artificial moon.
Despite everything that Goku and the rest of the Z Fighters throw at Vegeta, it's the young child who ultimately brings the conflict to an end. That he is able to maintain some rational thought following the transformation is pretty impressive, while the sight of a small, naked child napping on top of the bruised and broken Prince following the pair's epic duel makes for an amusing way to bring the saga to a close.
3 Gohan Versus Lavender
Following the conclusion of the Cell Games saga in Dragon Ball Z, Gohan faded away into relative obscurity, with his Great Saiyaman persona transforming the character into a bit of a joke. Although he did get a few chances to redeem himself in the Majin Buu Saga, it was not until Dragon Ball Super that he really got another shot at the big time.
Granted, the battle with Lavender is nowhere near as high stakes as the subsequent Tournament of Power, but it is still a pretty big deal and is ultimately a very entertaining fight. That Gohan is willing to continue on despite being blinded by an illegal attack is incredibly badass, as too his decision to turn down a senzu bean.
2 Gohan Versus Nappa
Although Nappa is considered by many to be the saga's comic relief character, there are still plenty of serious moments as the Z-Fighters struggle to overcome his brute strength. After several of his friends are killed by the fiend and his Saibamen, Gohan launches into action to great effect.
Viewers had been given an earlier glimpse of Gohan's untapped potential prior to this fight, but this is the first time they saw it for more than just a moment. He may not be strong enough to take Nappa down once and for all, but, for a four year old, it is an incredibly impressive attempt.
1 Gohan Versus Perfect Cell
There was a time when Akira Toriyama had planned for Gohan to take up the mantle of his father and become the series' main protagonist. While this ultimately didn't pan out, the young Saiyan's battle with Perfect Cell during is hands-down his finest moment in the entirety of the series and features some excellent moments. Most impressively though, he does what his father could not.
Having spent so much of the series up until this point afraid of his own power, he is finally able to embrace it and becomes the hero that he was always destined to be. That the power of his punches is such that he's able to dislodge Android 18 from the bio-android's insides is totally badass; as too is the super Kamehameha that follows.